His first professional season was 1982 with the Steelers. He was
elected to the Pro Bowl in
three consecutive seasons: 1984, 1985, and 1986, and in 1984 was
5th in the NFL with 15 sacks (Mark Gastineau led the league with
22).

After a salary dispute which saw him sit out the entire 1988
season, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a first-round
pick. In 1989, his first season at Minnesota, he became the first
player in NFL history to score the winning points in an overtime
game with a safety when he blocked a punt out of the end zone in a
game against the Los Angeles Rams
for a final score of 23-21, the same game in which the Vikings' Rich Karlis had scored
a then-record 7 field goals to get the 21 points that sent the game
into overtime.

His last year at Minnesota was the 1992 season; he played his
final season in 1993 for the New York Jets.